Foldable umbrella



A. s. JOHNSON.

FOLDABLE UMBRELLA- APPLlCATlGN FILED SEPT- 20; 1920. I l,378,354. I Patented May 17, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

' g 5; mm;

' Patented May 17, 1921.

Hugus/Cfibhnsan ATTORNEY.

WITNESS:

narrate stares PATENT @FEtCEE;

ansos'ras. aornvson, or'rninannnrma, PENNSYLVANIA.

' roLnABLE UMBRELLA.

rsvssea.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUGUSTA S. JOHNSON, a subject of King of Sweden, residing at Fhiladelphia,in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Foldable Umbrellas, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to umbrellas and has for an object to provide an umbrella which when set up will provide ample protection against the elements and comprehend a strong, neat appearing structure and which when folded can be brought into a compact form taking up very little room so that it can be conveniently carried in the hand or about the person or fitted into a bagor suitcase. I

The invention comprehends among other features an umbrella inlwhich the various parts used to make up the structure are of a simple and durable construction and cooperate to produce an umbrella that can be quickly set up and as quickly folded in a very simple manner, involving fewoperations without subjecting the clothor covering of the umbrella to any unnecessary strain, wear or tear.

In the further disclosure of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings constituting a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical elevation of the umbrella in its open position, parts being broken away to disclose the underlying structure, and with the shank of theha-ndle shown in section.

Fig. 2* is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing the relative arrangement in detail of the main and'auxiliary ribs and the braces.

Fig. 3* is a bottom plan view looking at the underside of one of the main and auxiliary ribs with'a portion of one of the braces shown in section.

Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line l'& in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5-.- is a fragmentary vertical sec tional view showing the arrangement of the adjusting cord,'the full lines indicating a normal positio'n thereof and the dotted lines, the position of the cord and one of the auxiliary ribs when the cord is drawn down or ad usted on the brace.

g- 6* isa fragmentary vertical eleva- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Ditty 17', 1921; Application filed September 20, 1920. Serial No. 411,413. l if tion showing-one of'the main and auxiliary ribs and braces and their relation to the body of the umbrella. V I 1 Fig. 7- is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the umbrella closed.

Fig. 8- is afragmentary elevation of the umbrella when it is closed and folded, and Fig. 9- is a horizontaltransverse sectional view taken through the umbrella as folded in Fig. 8, the View being slightly enlarged and showing the braces disposed within the handle and the main and auxiliary ribs arranged exteriorly and around the handle.

Referring more particularly to the views I provide a tubular handle 10 which at one s end may be provided with a suitable grip or holding device, as in the nature of a ringll' although this end of thehandle may be made plain and without a grip, if desired.

Mounted to slide inthe tubular. handle isa socket 12 preferably provided with a spring catch 13 which may project through a slot 14 near the outer end of the handle" or through a slot 15 near the inner end of the handle for the purpose of locking the socket in its outermost or innermost position in the handle. The outward movement of the socket on the handle may be limited by slightly closing the outer end of the handle as at 16 and carried by the socket and projecting upwardly therefrom is a stem-17, theouter end of which may carry a ring 18 which may also be made in the natureof a grip or handle as desired. Mounted to slide on'the stem 17 is a runner 19 provided with a slot 20, suitable inner and outer catches 21, 7

22 being provided on the stem"17 to extend through the slot 20 when the runner 19 is in its outer or innermost positions on the stem in order that the runner may be locked to the stem, when desired. The runner 19 has braces 23 pivota'lly connected thereto at the inner" ends of the braces and the outerends of the braces havepivotal conneotionjwith auxiliary ribs 24 which are arranged to slide 26'forming av guide'ifor the auxiliary rj,b,-;

as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, this tubular extension also serving to limit the auxiliary ribs. The main and auxiliary ribs are of course covered with a suitable cloth covering 27 which is stretched over the ribs when they are in open position and which will of course beheld under tension when the umbrella is open, as shown, the cloth be'ing suitably secured near the extremities of the main ribs and at the extremities ofthe auxiliary ribs and of course also secured where it fits around the outer end of the stem, namely at the ring 18. Each auxiliary rib preferably ends in a ball shaped head 28 and adjacent thereto there is. preferably formed an eye 29 to which is connected an adjusting cord 30, the inner end of which is looped as at 31 and extends around the brace '23, this end of the cord being arranged to he slid inward-1y or outwardly on the brace as shown in Fig. 5. When the cord is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5, it serves as a tension member and strengthening device for the auxiliary ribs, also tending to facilitate the proper shaping of the umbrella when'it is open and in cases where it is desired to draw the covering of the umbrella closer to the user in very inclement weather the inner end of the cord can be slid downwardly on the brace as shown in F ig; 5 in dotted lines, thus drawing the auxiliary ribs toward the center and of course also drawing in the covering.

When the umbrella is in the position shown in Fig. 1 withthe runner 19 abutting against the catch 22 so as to hold the umbrella in open position and the catch 18 extending through the slot 14: to hold the socket 12 in its outermost position in the handle, the operation of closing the umbrella is brought about by pressing the catch 22 so that the runner can be dropped on the stem to the catch 21 which will project through the slot 20 and then when the catch '13 is pressed out of the slot 1 1' and a downward pressure exerted against the ring 18,;it will be apparent that the socket will be retracted on the handle thus drawing a portion of the stem and runner into the handle and also the braces 23. As the braces engage with the extremity of the handle to. be received therein they will be caused to swing toward the ring 18, thus sliding the auxiliary ribs into the main ribs as shown in Fig. 7, while at the same time the retracting of the socket, stem and braces in the handle'will take place. This results in the auxiliary and main ribs and the covering being brought down around the exterior of the handle into a folded rarities assho n in g 7 d th c g can then be wrapped in a spiral form and secured by a suitable fastener 32 as shown in Fig. 8,, the umbrella being new in a compact folded position so that it can be conveniently stored away in a small place .or readily carried about in the hand.

and fold compactly around the same. I am aware that various forms of umbrellas have been devised heretofore in which the ribs and covering merely fold down around the stem, whereas in other cases the ribs and covering in their entirety are brought within a hollow handle. The last mentioned construction I have found objectionable because of the wear and tear to which the covering is subjected in accomplishing this operation and it is with the idea of providing a neat and substantial folding umbrella that can be easily and quickly operated that I have provided a construction wherein a portion of the stem and the vbraces are received in the tubular portion of the handle but the ribs remain exteriorly of the handle and fold down around it so that the covering can be conveniently and quickly folded around'the handle to inclose the ribs and thus present a neat folded construction in which the cloth will not be unnecessarily creased,-thus also preventing the cloth from tearing or the parts from not operating when it is desired later on to open and unfold the umbrella.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. An umbrella comprising a stem, a tubular handle, a socket receiving an end of the stem and mounted to slide 1n the lnterior of the handle, a catch on the socket for looking the socket in the outer end of the handle 'or in the inner end thereof, main ribs mounted to swing on the outer end of the -stem, auxiliary ribs mounted to slide on the main ribs, a runner mounted to slide on the stem, means for locking the runner in its outer or innermost positions on the stem, braces having their outer ends pivoted to the auxiliary ribs and the inner ends pivoted 2 An umbrella comprising a tubular handle, asocket mounted to slide in the handle. a stem havingitsinner end secured lap in said socket, means for locking the socket in the innermost end of the handle or in the outermost end thereof, main ribs mounted to swing on the outer end of the stem, auxiliary ribs mounted to slide on the main ribs and movable into extended relation thereto, a runner mounted to slide on the stem, means for locking the runner in an extended or retracted position on the stem, angular braces having pivotal connection with the said auxiliary ribsand with said runner, and means at the juncture of said auxiliary ribs and said main ribs for guiding auxiliary ribs in their sliding action on said main ribs, and for limiting the outward movement of said auxiliary.

3. An umbrella comprising a tubular handle, a socket mounted to slide in said handle, means for locking said socket in its innermost or outermost position in the handle, a stem having its inner end seated in said socket, a runner mounted to slide on the stem, means for locking the runner in its outermost position on the stem, means for locking the runner in itsinnermost position on the stem, for the runner to be withdrawn intothe handlewhen the socket is retracted therein, main ribs mounted to swing on the stem near the outer end thereof, auxiliary ribs-mounted to slide on the main ribs, braces connected to the auxiliary ribs at their points of sliding connection with the main ribs and having connection with said runner to be drawn therewithinto the tubular handle when the socket is retracted therein and cords connected to the extremities of the auxiliary ribs and adjustably connected to said braces for flexing said auxiliary ribs relative to the said main ribs;

In testimon whereof I aflix my signature.

UGUSTA S. JOHNSON. 

